"The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why"
- Eleanor Roosevelt
About this Quote
In this quote, Eleanor Roosevelt suggests that true appreciation can not be required or discussed. It is something that comes naturally and without reason. She thinks that the things we appreciate without comprehending the reason behind it are the ones that hold our attention for a longer period of time. This could be since these things possess a particular appeal or quality that we can not take into words, but it mesmerizes us nevertheless. Roosevelt's words remind us to appreciate the appeal and wonder of the world without trying to justify it, as in some cases the most meaningful things are the ones that can not be explained.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"